Tuesday, June 10, 2014

The Best to Join the LPGA Since 2005, June 2014 Edition

In the midst of an off-week before the U.S. Women's Open follows the guys at Pinehurst, it's a fine time to take another look at how the best players to join the LPGA since 2005 stack up against each other, something I haven't done since April. For the full rundown, check out my spreadsheet. The numbers in brackets following the player's name and point total represent how many points they have gained or lost since my last ranking.

50. Caroline Masson (532) [-1]
As you can see, the top point-gainers since April have been Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Lizette Salas, Jessica Korda, Jenny Shin, Inbee Park, Jennifer Johnson, Michelle Wie, and Shanshan Feng. (Ko's gain is so astronomical because she has so few events under her belt as an LPGA member. Look for less volatility from her ranking by this time next year!) The golfers losing the most points since the last ranking are So Yeon Ryu, Na Yeon Choi, Carlota Ciganda, In-Kyung Kim, Paula Creamer, and Ilhee Lee. These are the golfers playing much better (or worse) in the last couple of months than their career averages would lead you to expect.